


Learning

by Kit_SummerIsle



Series: Cybertronian Advent Calendar [17]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Advent Calendar, Ice-Skating, balance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-20
Updated: 2013-12-20
Packaged: 2018-01-05 07:42:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1091351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kit_SummerIsle/pseuds/Kit_SummerIsle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Advent Calendar Day 20 - prompt: ice-skating<br/>The mechs try a new pastime.<br/>G1-ish, post-war</p>
            </blockquote>





	Learning

Optimus stood up slowly and very-very cautiously, grabbing the seat for added balance and wobbled when he was finally upright. These… ice-skates felt very strange, and he hesitated to use the word, awkward to the point of being frightening. They were neither the flat and sturdy pedes on which he stood solidly on the ground, neither his tires of which he had several and his center of gravity was much closer to the ground anyway. The skates did the opposite, lifted him even higher while they were nothing more than flimsy wedges of metal that Wheeljack created for them to emulate human ice-skates. They had to go till the Arctic for ice strong enough to bear so many tons of mechs and now here and he had to face the firing squad. So to speak. Albeit Optimus wasn’t sure that he wouldn’t choose that.

He should let the support go soon, he supposed and test if he still had balance on his locked joints. He should. He’d better. Or become the laughingstock for his mechs. Great leader, chosen of Primus, rebuilder of Cybertron… and he couldn’t fragging balance on two small wedges of metal and a lot of slippery ice. He knew ice very well since coming to Earth. It was Pit to handle even on several wheels and now he had to stand and move on these… things?!?

He forced his clenching servos to loosen his digits one by one on the now crumpled-looking metal. Great, now Skyfire will kill him for mangling his exterior. The only consolation was that some mechs were already braving the ice and faring little better than he expected himself. Jazz apparently was having a time of his life by falling a lot and laughing uncontrollably between those. In contrast, Prowl was sliding on the ice like a statue, probably devoting all the output of his battle computer to balance and not moving a single joint not needed for the skating – and succeeding. 

He almost managed to release the solid metal bar, when a colourful whirlwind came and twirled around him. Optimus very nearly cursed the reckless bot – humans weren’t allowed on the ice, among so many falling mechs – when the colours told him just who he was. Ahh. Of course. Who else but his Seeker would manage to be proficient in an activity he’d never tried, which were completely alien to their nature and which apparently required a superb balance and a battle computer’s full output. 

Starscream twirled again and went into a controlled spin, stopping in front of Optimus in a shower of ice-shavings. The Prime tried to hide his spark-attack and put on a valiant, but completely false smile. Of course his bonded could read him through the mask like he was an open datapad. The Seeker’s wings were high and flared, his armour loose and relaxed and his dark lips held a rare smile that made Optimus forgive a lot to the unnatural activity and he mechs who proposed it. 

“You should let go of that.” – he said pointedly – “Skyfire might want to stand up too. Maybe even try skating.”

“No thanks.” – came the disembodied but firm voice from the shuttle who ferried them all to the polar regions, not his favourite place on a normal day. – “I think I’ll just come back for you lot later.”

“R-right. Okay. At once.” – Optimus still hasn’t convinced himself that it wouldn’t end in a disaster. – “How come you’re so fragging perfect in this?”

Starscream smirked and answered haughtily.

“If I lost awareness of my balance in the air for even a milliklik, I’d be dead faster than you can say Primus. Compared to flying this activity is easy. I only have to factor two dimensions.”

Right. Optimus’s respect – and slight envy - for his mate’s ability to fly has rose a few notches again. He strongly wished a pair of wings on his back it they helped, or lacking that a few more appendages to stand securely. He hasn’t contemplated moving, not yet. Probably never would. The other Seekers twirled by, apparently just as sure on their pedes… skates like Starscream, even the Aerialbots.

But eventually he did, if only to save himself from his bonded’s cutting vit. Starscream was a surprisingly good teacher and laughed only a little and hiding it when the Prime fell, shaking the whole ice-shelf. Which happened often. But by the end of the day Optimus was sliding, albeit only on a single, straight line and not for long – and Starscream danced around him in a way that should have been annoying… but was in fact sweet and appreciated.

In the end they had so much fun, Optimus hardly remembered when it happened last.


End file.
